Israel And Palestinians Begin Prisoner Exchange

Israel and the Palestinians today began a controversial and lopsided prisoner swap in which Israel is releasing 1,027 Palestinians for a single Israel soldier who was captured in 2006.

Sgt. Gilad Shalit, the lone Israeli soldier, was taken across the border and into Egypt early Tuesday in an SUV filled with armed men who quickly returned to Gaza, an official told The Associated Press.

In first public comments on Egyptian TV, Shalit said that he is “very excited.”

“I hope this deal would contribute to the peace between Israel and Palestinians,” he said Tuesday. “I will be very glad if they will be freed but they should not fight Israel anymore, it should be as part of a peace process and there should not be more wars.”